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Rohan Kishibe was coming over to visit and Otoishi Akira couldn’t have been more excited. He never really had visitors before so the fact that someone was finally visiting him meant a lot for Akira. And Kishibe Rohan too! The most revered mangaka in all of Morioh! One of the most well-known and successful mangakas in all of Japan was gonna be coming over to hang out! And best of all? It was Rohan who had suggested that they’d hang out at Akira’s house!
Akira couldn’t contain his excitement as his freckled cheeks were almost as red as the colored contacts he wears to enhance what he calls the “Ultra Legendary Guitarist” look. It’s with similar reasoning that he decided to get the lightning bold on his face and turn his hair purple at the beautician Aya Tsuji; he wanted to stand out amongst Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen, and make a name for himself just like his biggest idols.
But regardless, Akira decided to wear something simple for the meet-up. He slapped a T-shirt on his chest and wore a simple paired of ripped jeans and shoes, before tying his long hair into a high ponytail. Otoishi then proceeds to wear a necklace he made himself, using an old guitar pick and a piece of thick string.
At that moment, the door bell rings. He was here! Akira is quick to open the door and greet Kishibe with a stupid grin on his face.
A: Hi Rohan!
R: Hi.
A: Oh, this is so surreal! I haven’t had someone come over since…ever!
R: Well, that certainly makes me jealous. I cannot count the amount of times I’ve had people attempt to get in my house because of my work.
A: I guess that’s to be expected when you’re the author of Pink Dark Boy, am I right?
Akira and Rohan share a look with each other before they start smiling. And as absurd as it was for the mangaka, Kishibe’s smile wasn’t a conceited one, nor was it coated with his typical snark; Rohan was genuinely happy and his smile was just as genuine. Akira then proceeds to guide Rohan into his house.
A: So, would you like me to get you anything? Maybe some coffee? A cookie?
R: Oh, no thank you. I’m perfectly fine.
Rohan starts examining Akira’s house.
R: You know…I’d say that you have a pretty alright apartment.
A: Yeah, had you not decided to come over, this place wouldn’t be as pretty alright as it is right now.
Rohan starts laughing. Hearing how Kishibe’s voice chimed only made Akira’s heart flutter, before shaking his head to come to his senses.
A: Why don’t we go inside my room?
R: Oh, uh, sure…! I didn’t think that you’d be okay with that.
A: Pfft! Of course! Why would I not be?
R: I’m just saying…It’s technically your space of privacy and I wouldn’t want to disrupt that. I know I wouldn’t want a random person in my studio, that’s for sure.
A: Well, you’re not a random person, are you? You’re Rohan – fucking – Kishibe! You’re my friend… ❤
Neither Rohan nor Akira can prevent themselves from smiling and blushing before they both look away, upon realizing that their faces had turned red. Rohan specifically pretends to clear his throat, as a way to minimize how awkward the situation had become.
R: Let’s just go inside.
A: Great idea.
Rohan and Akira proceed to go inside Akira’s room, whereupon Rohan is immediately confronted by Akira’s speakers and a bunch of posters of bands like Queen and Deep Purple.
R: Wow…You…You certainly like music, that’s for sure.
A: Of course! How else was I suppose to express the love and passion I have for the world of music?
R: I mean, I love Japanese poetry, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll just plaster Sadakazu Fujii’s work all over my walls.
A: Music and poetry are different, Ro.
R: I suppose.
Rohan puts his messenger bag on Akira’s bed before noticing his vinyl collection (and vinyl player).
R: Oh my!
A: What?
R: You have vinyl records!
A: Yes! Pick whichever one you like and we’ll listen to it!
R: Right, let’s see…Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Metallica…Hm…All of these are nice, but I’m not sure if I want to- huh?
As he was browsing through Akira’s collection of vinyl records, he stumbles upon one of them that looks different from the rest. Akira is confused at Rohan’s sudden silence, before turning red from embarrassment and rushing towards him, so as to prevent him from picking up the vinyl he was about to grab.
A: How about you look for something else, huh?
Rohan is confused.
R: Let me look at the vinyl, Akira.
Akira pauses.
A: No.
R: Akira.
Akira gulps before backing away.
A: Okay…But please don’t make fun of me…
Rohan, still confused, takes the vinyl and is shocked to see an ABBA album amongst all of the rock music. Specifically, it was ABBA’s album, Arrival, released in 1976.
R: I didn’t know you listened to ABBA.
A: Yeah, I do sometimes…
R: Well, that’s certainly a pleasant surprise. ABBA are my favorite band!
A: Wait, really?
R: Yeah! You gotta give it to Agnetha and Anni-Frid; their voices are spectacular! How about we listen to it?
A: I, uh…S-sure!
Akira puts the vinyl on the record player and proceed to start listening to the album and talking with one another as they are sat down on the floor. At some point, however, the song “Why Did It Have To Be Me” starts playing, something which makes both Akira and Rohan happy.
R: Is that “Why Did It Have To Be Me”?
A: I think so, yeah…!
R: Oh that’s my favorite song of theirs!
A: I actually know how to play this song on my guitar-
R: Screw the guitar!
At that moment, Rohan, having stood up, grabs Akira by the arm and lifts him up with the intention of dancing with him. Such a reaction was completely unexpected from Otoishi. I mean…Rohan…dancing? It was definitely a pleasant surprise, but that doesn’t make it not odd.
And seeing him get so excited over a song? Now that’s the weirdest part! It didn’t make sense at all! Akira has seen Rohan make fun of Josuke and Okuyasu for their passionate reactions to music, so seeing him have an equally passionate reaction could only perplex him.
Does Rohan always act like this when he listens to music and simply hides it when in front of the others as a way to “avoid unnecessary attention” as he calls it? Or is it specifically ABBA that makes him get so excited? And this song in particular? Just what kind of power does a sappy love song from the 70s hold that can make even a man like Rohan stand up and dance, looking as happy as a child on Christmas Day?
At some point, they reach the 2 minute mark of the song and Rohan starts doing the unexpected…He starts singing along to Agnetha and Anni-Frid’s vocals…And Akira’s heart felt as though it would explode.
There was nothing in this world that would prepare him for the sight of Rohan singing; it was so out-of-the-blue. Yet Akira sat there and listened as he heard Rohan’s voice chime along to the music.
For someone who, Akira assumes, has never undergone any sort of training in music, Rohan’s voice was spectacular. It was as smooth as velvet, as sweet as chocolate…It was a voice so magnificent and so clear that you just never wanted it to stop. And Akira most certainly didn’t.
Being completely taken aback by the sound of Rohan’s singing, Akira sits on his bed as he lets Kishibe be taken over the music as he dances his way to the end of the song. At that moment, Otoishi was confronted with a different image of Rohan.
Up until that moment, Akira knew Rohan as a conceited snob with a heart of gold, but this…this is different.
Suddenly, the egotistical Rohan was replaced with a Rohan full of life; a young man full of joy and excitement. Akira was looking at a Rohan who wore a graceful grin, which somehow managed to make an already handsome man into someone more beautiful that he could’ve ever imagined…
Both Rohan and Akira were in 7th heaven. Who knew that a song written by a Swedish band would be what brought them in such a blissful state of mind?
That bliss would soon be over, though, upon hearing the sound of a familiar voice coming from outside the room.
Josuke: Yo, senpai! Your voice sounds like something died! Can you turn it down, please?
Josuke starts snickering as both Rohan and Akira look at him and try to figure out how he got inside the house. Or, at least, Akira is trying to figure that out. Rohan is too busy being embarrassed and absolutely infuriated at the sight of Josuke. Meanwhile Higashikata is looking at Rohan with a stupid grin, finding the situation rather humorous.
R: Why you-
J: You should really just stick to being a mangaka, Kishibe.
A: H-how…How did you get inside my house?! Why are you here, Josuke?!
J: You forgot your door open.
Akira goes to react, before realizing that he never closed the door when Rohan came inside the house. Upon coming to that realization, Akira’s cheeks turn red from embarrassment.
J: But anyways, I was just walking to meet up with my man Okuyasu when I heard a rat die from your house; turns out it was just Rohan singing.
A: How dare you say that! Rohan’s voice is amazing!
J: C’mon now, Otoishi, you don’t have to lie to your pal, Kishibe! Just admit that senpai over there sounds worse than a crow with a sore throat and we’ll all be good. Am I right, senpai?
R: Please leave.
J: Eh?
A: Rohan, are you okay-
R: I said leave! Both of you!
A: But-
J: Do you want me to use Heaven’s Door on you, Otoishi?
Akira gulps as he pushes Josuke out of the house, before Rohan slams the door behind him. Rohan then slides down to the floor and covers his face with his knees.
After about 15 minutes or so, Akira knocks on the door.
A: Hey, Ro? Can I come in now?
There is a small moment of silence, before Rohan opens the door.
R: Listen, I…I am so sorry-
A: You don’t have to apologize; it was all that idiot Josuke’s fault-
R: I’m not talking about him…I’m talking about…before he came inside…
A: Huh? You…You mean the dancing?
R: Yeah…
A: Dude, why the hell would you apologize about that? You were having fun!
R: I just- I saw how you were looking at me; I weirded you out. I’m sorry.
Rohan’s face turns red from the embarrassment as Akira looks at him in confusion. The thought of Rohan being this vulnerable or apologetic with anyone didn’t sit right with him; much less the fact that Kishibe was essentially apologizing for something that had magnetized Otoishi so much just minutes before.
A: Why…Why would you think you weirded me out?
R: I saw how you were starring at me.
At that moment, as if by command, Akira’s face turns bright red. Yes, he was starring at Rohan, but he didn’t think that Rohan would notice.
A: L-l-let me explain myself! I wasn’t starring at you because I was weirded out! I was starring at you because…because you were cool!
R: What?
A: Your singing, your dancing…! I didn’t expect you to be capable of doing either! And you were having so much fun as well I just… It was great!
Rohan’s cheeks flush.
R: Oh shut up, it wasn’t that great…
A: Rohan, I’ve seen professionals perform worse than you.
R: Okay, now you’re just taking it a bit too far.
Akira snickers.
R: But, I must admit, it is quite the relief to know that you didn’t think I was being weird. I…I honestly don’t know what took over me! It’s been quite a while since I’ve last listened to “Why Did It Have To Be Me” and I guess I just…felt the need to dance and sing…! I wouldn’t have shown the same excitement if I was with Josuke or Okuyasu (you clearly saw the reason why).
A: I see…But what made you decide to show this excitement with me?
R: I guess you can say that I…am more comfortable with you…
Rohan’s wears a cheeky smile as Akira blushes.
A: I see.
Rohan and Akira look away from one another with flushed cheeks.
R: So, um…I Arrival the only ABBA album you have or-
A: Oh, I have all of their albums! Super Trouper, Voulez-Vous…
R: Oh really? Well, that’s most certainly a pleasant surprise! How about…How about we listen to Super Trouper? There’s a song there that’s another one of my favorites.
A: Is it “Lay All Your Love On Me”?
R: Huh? How did you know?
A: I just guessed! It’s my favorite song so I thought it’d be a safe choice.
Rohan grins in excitement.
R: Looks like we’re more similar than I thought…!
A: Yep!
Rohan and Akira share a laugh with one another as Rohan takes out the vinyl of Arrival from the record player.